Don't feel too bad, my dad was ready to rebuild the engine in his Willys Jeep because of the racket it was making. It turned out to be a timing gear bolt had backed out and was hitting the timing cover as the engine ran. The noise sounded just like a bad rod bearing and woould go away when you lifted off the gas, my dad kept telling me to quit wasting my time, the motor was shot. Well guess what? That was 8 or nine years ago, and the old Jeep is still running.


The clunking issue is an intrigue. A bad starter bendix maybe?